


A Threefold Cord

by Izzyaro (Isilarma)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isilarma/pseuds/Izzyaro
Summary: Yamanaka Inoichi is not impressed by the village’s reaction to their new jinchūriki. With the help of his old teammates, he decides to take Naruto in and raise him alongside the next generation of Ino-Shika-Chō. Whatever lies ahead, Naruto will not be facing it alone.
Comments: 22
Kudos: 88





	1. Along Came A Family

The people of Konoha were celebrating.

After all, why shouldn't they? The Kyūbi had been vanquished. The Nine-Tailed Fox, the demonic force of nature that had tried to destroy their village, was gone. After all the fear and terror and sacrifice, the people needed some sense of victory.

The shinobi thought differently. They were the ones who had borne the brunt of the losses. They were the ones who had lost their golden young Hokage. They were the ones who sat with their families and friends and waited for the storm to break.

Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza were no exception. Their clans were safe and any damages under control, and so they had retreated to the sanctuary of their preferred shinobi-run bar. It was quiet, unlike most of the others they had passed on the way, and the bartender knew better than to do anything more than bring them their drinks and leave them in peace.

Neither jōnin spoke. After years as teammates, and even longer as friends, they didn't need to. Instead they nursed their drinks and waited.

They weren't waiting long before they were joined by a tall, blond man. He sat in silence and caught the barman's eye with a twitch of his head. Only once the final drink had been delivered and they had been left in peace did Shikaku speak.

"It's as we expected then."

It wasn't a question, but Yamanaka Inoichi nodded anyway. "The news is spreading quickly, but they are angry, not grateful. They hate him as much as they hate the Fox."

"Don't know why anyone thought anything else would happen," Chōza muttered.

Inoichi's blue eyes flashed with agreement. "They speak of the monster the demon brat will grow up to become. He's not even a week old, and yet their minds are made up." He shook his head, ponytail whipping about his shoulders in exasperation. "He has the potential to become one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, and this is how they would treat him?"

His voice cracked slightly, and he looked away. "He's a baby and they hate him."

Chōza let out a low growl. The two turned expectant looks on Shikaku, who finished his drink before nodding. "We are agreed then."

Twin savage grins met his words, and Shikaku let his own smirk grow.

One way or another, Konoha would honour the wishes of the Yondaime Hokage.

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the three implacable faces before him, and sighed.

"You are set on this."

Shikaku just raised an eyebrow, and Hiruzen sighed again. "Which of you will be taking him?"

He wasn't particularly surprised when Inoichi stepped forward. "We won't be hiding his identity, but he will have some protection if civilians assume he is just a Yamanaka bastard on sight."

They had clearly thought about this, not that Hiruzen had expected anything less, but there were still problems. "The villagers will have questions if Naruto simply disappears."

"No, they won't," said Chōza, with a snort. "They won't give a damn as long as the boy is under control and out of sight." He shook his head. "If they do ask, just tell them he's being appropriately monitored. They'll feel better with a clan or three in the way."

"Or say that he's going through special training, like Danzō wants," Shikaku drawled.

Hiruzen opened his mouth to demand how they even knew that, caught three identical looks, and closed it again. They were some of his best for a reason. Instead he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I have already refused that request," he said quietly.

Shikaku nodded but stayed silent. Hiruzen sighed again. The issue of the boy had to be settled, but he did wish they had waited. Dealing with the aftermath of the village nearly being destroyed was no easy task, especially for one who was supposed to be retired.

But he was Hokage, and he would do his duty. And the thought of Naruto growing up feared and resented in an orphanage was not a pleasant one.

"Do you intend to tell him about his burden?"

Inoichi nodded. "When he is ready, yes. We will ensure that he is properly trained by the clans, but he will still be at risk, from outside influences as well as the people of this village. He deserves to know why."

Hiruzen frowned at him. "How can you be so sure that they will reject him?" he asked. "They have been asked to honour Minato's legacy."

Chōza shook his head, and Inoichi gave a decidedly bitter smile. "I have walked among them, Hokage-sama. I have listened to their words, and to what they are not saying. They hate the Fox for all it has done, and they have transferred that hatred to Naruto." He sighed. "Perhaps if Minato had lived then things would be different, but Naruto will never be accepted by them now."

Hiruzen grimaced, but he knew better than to doubt the word of a Yamanaka. Before he could say anything though, Shikaku spoke up,

"Speaking of Minato, we'll be telling the kid about his heritage when he's ready too."

For a moment Hiruzen could only stare at him, but frustration soon overwhelmed his concern. "That knowledge was restricted to myself and Jiraiya." Not even Kakashi had been told, not that the young man was in any fit state to do anything about it.

Shikaku just raised an eyebrow. "Minato and Kushina were together. Kushina was pregnant, and don't say she wasn't because Yoshino worked it out months ago."

"And then she mysteriously disappears for months leaving Minato more stressed than ever," Chōza muttered.

Inoichi coughed, and the corner of Shikaku's mouth twitched up as he continued, "Kushina died the day Naruto was born. Minato would never sacrifice another man's child. Hardly difficult, Hokage-sama."

Damned Nara. Hiruzen gritted his teeth. "His life will be in great danger should the truth of his parentage become known."

That earned him a flat look. "That's why I said when he's ready."

"In the meantime, if he's seen often enough with my clan he'll be assumed to have Yamanaka blood," Inoichi pointed out. "People see what they expect to see, and a blue-eyed blond in Konoha…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"And he'll be far safer under the protection of our clans than he would be in an orphanage," Chōza added. He folded his arms. "He deserves better than a lifetime of resentment for something far out of his control."

They fell silent, arguments made, and Hiruzen reflected somewhat ruefully that the Ino-Shika-Chō trio were feared for good reason. There wasn't a trace of hesitation on any face, and he knew better than to think that they would ever back down. Hiruzen closed his eyes, and tried to think.

On the one hand, it was an incredible risk. Should anyone outside Konoha discover any of the boy's secrets then every other Hidden Village would be out for blood. Not to mention how furious Danzō and the rest of the council would be.

On the other, Naruto would be trained by three of the strongest clans in Konoha, and raised by friends of his parents. He would be safe, protected, loved…

Hiruzen had failed Minato and Kushina. He would not fail their son.

* * *

Yamanaka Keiko looked at her husband, then at the bundle in his arms, and back again. She had known Inoichi was planning something, and he had given in and told her when she asked, but she hadn't expected him to move so fast.

Then again, she really should be used to it by now.

There was only one question on her mind.

"Is it safe?"

Inoichi nodded. "The seal has been examined by both the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama. The Kyūbi is secured, unable to escape or influence its host." He took a step forward, and held out the baby. "This is Uzumaki Naruto," he said softly. "His parents died during the attack."

He said nothing else, but he didn't have to. Keiko smiled, and carefully took the bundle from her husband. "Hello, Naruto," she whispered. Enormous blue eyes blinked up at her, and Keiko felt the fierce, almost painful, surge of love she'd only ever felt when looking at Ino. "Oh, Inoichi…"

Inoichi's arms came around her, and Keiko felt him let out a shuddering breath. "I couldn't leave him in an orphanage."

"Certainly not." She shifted a little so that she could smile down at Naruto. "We'll put him in with Ino for now."

Naruto yawned and snuggled into her arms, and Keiko looked up to see her husband's eyes fill with love and pride. "It'll be good for her to be a big sister," he agreed.

Keiko smiled, and hugged her new child close. "Welcome to the family, Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

"Ino-Shika-Chō."

Shimura Danzō was not in a good mood. That was not an unusual occurrence. This time though, he had good reason for it. The Yondaime had given them a perfect weapon, and what were they doing with it? The jinchūriki of the Kyūbi could be the most powerful creature in the world, and he was being raised by a bunch of peace-loving fools.

Danzō forced his fury under control with the ease of long practice, and took a deep breath. Outright protests would be a waste of time. Sarutobi had made his position on the child's future clear, and Danzō knew better than to try to test him. Approaching the Yamanaka was also out of the question. That clan on their own wouldn't be much of an obstacle, but he wouldn't be facing just the Yamanaka. The Nara and Akimichi would support their ally with everything they had, and Danzō wasn't foolish enough to antagonise all three.

Still, there were other ways. Danzō sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Let them do as they wished. Let them think that they had won.

He had waited decades. He could wait a little longer.


	2. Growing Up Yamanaka

Naruto was loud.

Inoichi had been expecting it, he had known Kushina after all, but it was still exhausting, particularly when Ino took it as a challenge. Both three years olds were happy and energetic and Inoichi adored them, but he wouldn't exactly have minded if the pair were a little bit more like Shikamaru and Chōji.

Then again, Inoichi reflected, as he arrived back home to find the two 'helping' Keiko with the dinner, he wouldn't really want life any other way.

"Tou-chan!"

"Ji-chan!"

Inoichi barely had time to hang up his coat before his arms were full of squirming children. He laughed and hugged them both close. "Hello there. Have you both had a good day?"

Ino and Naruto started talking at once, naturally at the top of their voices, and Inoichi hid a wince with the ease of long practice.

"And we saw Kiba!"

"And we played with the puppies!"

"Tou-chan, can we-"

"I'm afraid we can't have puppies here," said Inoichi quickly. Their faces fall, and Keiko raised an eyebrow, so he added, "But I'm sure the Inuzuka would be happy for you to visit and play with all their puppies if you ask nicely."

"Awesome!"

"Cool!"

"I wanna be an Inuzuka!"

"No, I do!"

"I did first!"

"But I thought it first!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Keiko grinned, and Inoichi had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He instinctively stretched out his chakra to bask in the feel of being surrounded by the people he loved, only to pause as something else flickered on the edge of his awareness. He tensed, and saw Keiko shoot him a concerned look. Her eyes went to the children and she summoned a smile.

"All right, time to let tou-chan move," she said. Her voice was light, and only Inoichi recognised the wariness in it. He set down the children and concentrated. It wasn't a threat, but he did recognise it. He forced himself to relax, and nodded to Keiko.

"I'll be back in just a moment."

"But you just got here," Ino whined.

Inoichi reached down to pat her head. "I'm not going far," he promised. "I just need to have a quick word with someone."

Ino frowned, but was easily distracted by Keiko calling her over to help Naruto set the table. Inoichi sent her a grateful look, and slipped silently out the door.

The street was deserted, but Inoichi wasn't the strongest sensor in the village for nothing. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

"You know I know you're there," he said.

There was a second of silence, then Inoichi felt a flicker of chakra and the faintest breath of wind and opened his eyes to find a teenaged boy standing just out of arm's reach. His visible eye was pinched with pain and exhaustion, and Inoichi felt an uncomfortable rush of sympathy. He couldn't know officially, but he knew what an ANBU looked like, and if his suspicions were correct this shinobi had spent a few too many years doing the village's dirty work. It might be worth a few hints to the Hokage.

For now though, Inoichi just gave him a warm smile.

"It is always a pleasure to see you, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi twitched ever so slightly at the unspoken reprimand, but he didn't look away. "My apologies, Yamanaka-san."

Inoichi sighed. "We never mind visitors," he said gently. "And Naruto is always excited to meet new people."

Kakashi's gaze did drop then, and Inoichi saw his shoulders tense. Not that Inoichi could blame him. Kakashi was one of the strongest shinobi in the village, but dealing with Naruto was something else entirely.

Still, Inoichi hoped Kakashi would agree. The teenager only seemed close to the Hokage and one of Chōza's former genin, and he'd made no attempt to reach out in the past few years. Kakashi was devoted to the village, and to Naruto if today was any indication, but no one could live like that. Kakashi was intelligent enough to be well aware of that too, but still he held back.

Inoichi looked at the clearly conflicted jōnin and knew he had to try.

"Chōza is having a get-together at his place next week," he said. "I know Gai has been invited, and I'm sure you'd be more than welcome." He chuckled. "It's not like there won't be enough food."

Kakashi hesitated, then jerked his head in a curt nod. "I'll think about it."

It was more than Inoichi had expected, so he just nodded back. "Good."

Kakashi started to turn away, then paused. Inoichi waited, and after a moment Kakashi glanced back at him. "Is he happy?"

A shriek rang out from the house, closely followed by Keiko and Naruto's laughter, and Inoichi only smiled. Kakashi's mask twitched and he nodded. "Thank you, Yamanaka-san."

He was gone before Inoichi could reply, but Inoichi went back inside with a much lighter heart.

* * *

Shikaku watched approvingly as Shikamaru talked Naruto through the basics of shōgi. The blond was so hyperactive that Shikaku had half-expected the him to lose patience after ten minutes, so seeing him so engrossed in the explanation was a very good sign. Raising the kids together was paying off. Ino and Chōji were very carefully running through katas together a few metres away, and Shikaku could already see improvements in their form.

"They're doing well."

Shikaku hummed in acknowledgment and accepted a glass of sake from Chōza. His friend settled himself on the bench next to him, his eyes travelling over the children. "You haven't started chakra exercises yet?"

Shikaku shook his head. "Soon." None of their clans were particularly known for their chakra reserves, so it was important for them to start early. Good control was invaluable, and the sooner they started the better.

"Naruto is going to have problems."

Shikaku grunted again. The Uzumaki, on the other hand, were natural powerhouses, and that was without the extra chakra granted by the boy's tenant. "He's going to be a superb frontline attacker," he murmured.

"I'd gathered that," said Chōza dryly. "But training him is going to be a nightmare."

Even thinking about it was tiresome, and Shikaku took refuge in his sake. "We'll think of something. There are people we can call on."

Inoichi had nearly got Kakashi to the point where he could be in the same room as the boy for more than five minutes, and there were at least a few jōnin that Shikaku could press into service if necessary. They still had time.

The afternoon peace was suddenly broken by indignant shrieks, accusations and protests, and Shikaku let his head fall back against the chair with a groan. Chōza chuckled, and dragged him upright.

"You are not leaving me alone with this one, old friend."

It was too much trouble to refuse. Shikaku slouched after his friend, who had separated Ino and Naruto with the ease of long practice, and was now frowning at them.

"What exactly is going on here?"

"She fell into me on purpose!" Naruto yelled.

"I didn't see you!" Ino screeched. "You should have moved!"

"You were behind me!"

"And you were behind me!"

"That's enough of that," said Chōza wearily. He crouched down between them. "Naruto, she didn't do it on purpose. Ino, it certainly wasn't Naruto's fault."

Ino sniffed, and gave Naruto a sheepish look. "Sorry, Naru."

Naruto's scowl vanished immediately. "S'okay. Hey, want me to fix your hair?"

Shikaku watched the two immediately settle down, and shook his head. Shikamaru just yawned. "Troublesome," he mumbled.

Shikaku ruffled his son's hair fondly, then gave him a gentle push in the direction of his friends. Chōji had produced a packet of crisps from somewhere and the four were soon chatting easily, quarrel forgotten. Shikaku sat back down again, and yawned.

"When are Inoichi and Keiko getting back from the hospital?"

Chōza gave him a fondly exasperated look. "Whenever they finish. And thank you so much for your help back there."

"You had it under control," Shikaku pointed out. He closed his eyes, letting the afternoon sun soak into his bones as his mind drifted to the children.

Everything was going even better than he had anticipated.

* * *

Inoichi knew something was wrong the moment he stepped through the door. The silence was telling enough, and the anger and misery hanging in the air was thick enough that even a non-Yamanaka would pick up on it. Inoichi took a moment to steady himself, then made his way through to where his wife's presence was flickering.

Keiko's welcoming smile was strained, and she clung tight to him when he opened his arms.

"We went to the market," she said quietly. "Naruto was recognised."

Inoichi closed his eyes for a moment. "I was hoping it would take them longer than this."

Naruto deserved more than just a few years of peace. Keiko sighed. "We're going to have to talk to him. And Ino."

"Naruto first," said Inoichi quietly. Neither conversation was going to be easy, but Naruto needed the truth. Reluctantly he disentangled himself from Keiko and took a deep breath. "No time like the present."

Keiko hesitated, but didn't argue. "Send Ino down to help me, will you?"

Inoichi kissed her on the cheek, and headed up to his children's bedrooms. A low murmur of voices guided him to Naruto's room, voices that stopped when he knocked lightly on the door.

"It's me," he called. "May I come in?"

There was a longer pause than he liked before the door finally swung open. Ino looked up at him from her spot next to her brother, but her usual welcoming grin was nowhere in sight. Inoichi crouched down to give her a quick hug.

"I know," he whispered. "Would you mind giving kaa-chan a hand with the dinner?"

Ino tilted her head to one side, then the corner of her mouth turned up. "Okay." She glanced back to smile at Naruto before disappearing down the stairs. Inoichi shut the door gently behind her, and turned to his foster son. Naruto's tear-stained face looked up at him, and Inoichi had to squash down a fierce surge of paternal fury. No one got to make his son look like that. He eased himself down onto the carpet and wrapped an arm around Naruto, who immediately burrowed into his side. Inoichi could feel him shaking, and he had to pause to make sure to keep his voice gentle.

"I hear you had a bad day."

Naruto gave a hiccuping half snort. "Everyone was looking at me."

Inoichi hugged him close. "People can be idiots," he said softly. "Don't pay any attention to them."

"But why do they do it? And say those things?" Naruto demanded. He twisted to look up at Inoichi. "What's wrong with me?"

Inoichi bit his lip. He had known this day was coming, but finding the words was still difficult. The utter dejection in Naruto's blue eyes made everything a thousand times worse.

"I don't know what's going on," he was mumbling. "It never happens to Ino, or Shika or Chōji." His lip was trembling as he looked up. "Do they hate me?"

Inoichi pulled him into a tight hug. "They don't know you enough to hate you," he whispered. "You have done nothing wrong, Naruto. Nothing."

"But I must have done something," came Naruto's muffled voice.

His shaking was intensifying, and Inoichi knew he couldn't put it off any longer. He sat back enough that he could meet Naruto's eyes. "You didn't do anything, but there is a reason why people treat you as they do." He sighed. "Not a good reason, but in some ways an understandable one."

Naruto stared at him. Inoichi willed away a growing headache. "Naruto, What I am about to tell you is one of the biggest secrets in the village. All shinobi above the rank of jōnin are aware of the details, but a certain amount of information was given to the civilian population."

That fact still rankled, but Minato had wanted his son's sacrifice to be known. Naruto nodded shakily, and Inoichi drew in a deep breath.

"Six years ago, the Kyūbi attacked our village."

Naruto nodded, and Inoichi took a moment to force down the memories of that terrible night. "Naruto, we teach that the Fox was destroyed by the Yondaime Hokage, but that isn't true." He grimaced. "The Kyūbi and it's brethren are the embodiment of pure chakra. They cannot be destroyed, only restrained."

"How?" Naruto whispered. "How can...that be restrained?"

Inoichi closed his eyes briefly. "They are sealed. Sealed inside living sacrifices." He looked at his son. "Jinchūriki."

Naruto had gone very still. A dozen emotions played across his face, and as his eyes widened Inoichi gripped his shoulders. "The Yondaime sealed the Kyūbi inside of you to save the village, but listen to me, Naruto, you are safe. The Yondaime was a master of sealing, and the seal itself has been tested by Jiraiya of the Sannin. It is under your control."

Naruto barely seemed to hear him. "That...that's why they hate me? Because I'm the Fox?"

"You are the container of the Fox," Inoichi corrected sharply. "You are the one keeping us safe." He stared into his son's eyes, willing him to see the truth. "The civilians do not understand and they remember what the creature did, but they are the ones in the wrong, Naruto. The Yondaime's wish was for you to be recognised as a hero for your sacrifice."

Naruto was still shaking, not that Inoichi could blame him. It was a terrible burden to place on a six year old, but the last thing the boy needed was more lies. He waited, and eventually Naruto let out a shuddering breath and looked up.

"Why me?"

A lifetime of training kept Inoichi's face calm and his voice even. "You were the only child born that day. I'm not an expert, but I believe the seal is more secure if the child is younger."

Naruto frowned. "But what about my parents?" He pulled at a loose thread of his tee-shirt. "I know some people call me a Yamanaka, but I'm an Uzumaki. Did you know my parents?"

The conversation had managed to take an even more dangerous turn, but Inoichi had been preparing for this one. "I did," he said gently. "They were strong shinobi, who loved you more than anything in the world, but they died during the attack."

It wasn't a lie, but it was far from the whole truth either and Inoichi hated it, but he didn't have a choice. Minato couldn't be known to have a son. Not yet. Naruto's lip trembled, and Inoichi gave in to the urge to hug him close.

"They would be so proud of you," he whispered. "Just as I am."

Naruto hugged him back, his little arms squeezing tight around Inoichi's neck. "I won't let you down," he mumbled. He drew back a bit, blue eyes blazing. "I won't let any of you down."

Inoichi's own eyes stung, and he smiled. "You never could."

Naruto smiled back, shaky but genuine, and Inoichi silently repeated the promise he had made to Minato's and Kushina's graves. Naruto carried an impossible burden. Inoichi would do whatever he could to help him bear it.

* * *

Keiko was interrupted in the middle of doing the accounts for the flower shop by her husband slumping down into the chair opposite her.

"Ino likes boys."

Keiko paused, then set her pen down. "You knew it was going to happen," she reminded him, and didn't even try to keep the amusement from her voice. Inoichi scowled.

"She says there's a cute boy at school."

"Sasuke is quite popular."

"She's six! They're both six! Why is she looking at boys?" His blue eyes landed hopefully on her. "Do you think you can tell her the story of how we only met when we were in our twenties?"

Keiko smiled at the memory, and reached out to take her husband's hand. "She's six, love," she repeated. "Everyone has a childhood crush. She'll grow out of it."

"I hope so," said Inoichi grimly. "If the boy grows up to be even half as arrogant as his father then we will have problems."

"They're not all that bad," Keiko pointed out. "You liked working with Shisui that time, didn't you? And Itachi and Izumi have always been very polite."

"And I still don't know where they got it from," Inoichi muttered. "Every time Fugaku asks me for an expert testimony he acts like he's the one doing me a favour."

Keiko grimaced. She had only met the Uchiha patriarch a few times, but he had made his feelings on civilians quite clear. Relations had been strained between the Uchiha and Yamanaka ever since, not that they had ever been particularly good to begin with.

Still, there was no reason to think the same of the rest of the clan. Itachi had always been very respectful, and Sasuke seemed a sweet enough boy. Besides, the children were very young. There was nothing to worry about.

Keiko was opening her mouth to say as much when her breath caught and she found herself coughing. Inoichi was round at her side immediately.

"Keiko?"

Keiko felt the familiar healing warmth of her husband's chakra, and the fit eased enough for her to manage a weak smile. "I'm fine," she wheezed.

Inoichi's eyes were shadowed with concern. "It's still not going away." His arm tightened around her. "Maybe we should go back to the doctor."

Keiko wanted to protest that he was overreacting, but her throat burned and her chest still felt tight, and she only nodded. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Inoichi pressed a kiss to her hair, and Keiko let herself relax back against him. Whatever happened, they would get through it together.

* * *

At seven years old, Naruto decided he hated funerals.

It didn't feel like a day for a funeral. The shy was a clear, bright blue, and everyone Naruto loved, from Shikamaru and Chōji to the Hokage himself, were there. It felt like it should be a good day.

But Ino was squeezing his hand tight enough that he had lost all sensation in his fingers, and Inoichi hadn't smiled in a week, and Naruto stared at the photo of Keiko, happy and laughing, back before she got sick and everything went wrong, and felt like his heart was breaking.

For the first time in his life, Naruto was glad that he couldn't remember his parents. He'd never known losing someone would hurt so much.

Naruto heard none of the actual service. He followed Ino, and hugged her when she started crying, but then he started to cry too and neither of them could stop, not even when Chōza picked them both up and held them close. Shikamaru and Chōji hovered in the background, both on the verge of tears themselves, and Naruto felt he should be embarrassed at making such a fuss, but he hurt so much that he simply didn't care.

Besides, Inoichi was crying too.

They all ended up at Chōji's house. Naruto saw a worried-looking Chōza and Shikaku drag Inoichi into the office, before he and Ino were practically smothered by Yoshino and Haruki.

"Would either of you like anything?" Haruki asked. "I have some things in the oven, and I made some this morning before we left, and there are those biscuits that Keiko...that Keiko..." Her plump face crumpled, but before Naruto could do more than exchange a terrified look with Chōji, she drew in a shuddering breath and plastered a smile on her face. "What would you like, my dears?"

Naruto shook his head numbly. Nothing tasted good any more, not even Akimichi cooking. He glanced at Ino, and flinched when he saw her eyes shining. He swallowed and squeezed her hand tighter.

"Can we go outside?" he asked desperately. He loved his aunts, but he couldn't handle so much attention right now. Yoshino frowned, but Shikamaru caught Naruto's eye and tugged on his mother's sleeve.

"Kaa-san, I heard someone talking and I didn't understand..."

Chōji had caught on at the same moment and was pestering Haruki, and Naruto seized the chance to drag Ino into the back garden. His sister liked being the centre of attention as much as he did, but he could feel her shaking and knew they both had to get out.

It was only when they actually got outside that Naruto realised a slight flaw in his plan. Ino dropped his hand and stared at the well-tended beds.

"We helped kaa-chan plant these," she whispered.

Naruto swallowed. He remembered that day. Inoichi and Chōza had called it good practice for D-ranks for some reason. It had been one of the last days they spent together before Keiko got really sick.

"I know," he mumbled. He stared at the cluster of red and purple chrysanthemums, and could only see the yellow ones they had placed on the grave. Everything became blurry, and he bit his lip hard to keep the tears from falling. He couldn't cry any more. He had to be strong for Ino.

"Naruto," Ino's voice cracked, and she tried again, "What are we going to do?"

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it again without a sound. What could he say? Ino looked at him, her own eyes bright with tears.

"Is this how you feel all the time?"

Naruto shook his head. "No," he forced out, "because I had her, and I didn't know anyone else." The old wounds felt like they were tearing open, and he wrapped his arms around his chest. The stupid sun beat down on his hair, but he could barely feel the warmth. Ino sniffed, then suddenly threw her arms around him.

"I miss her," she sobbed. "I miss her so much."

Naruto could only hug her back. "Me too," he said softly.

It wasn't fair. He'd already lost one mother, why did he have to lose another? His parents were gone, and now Keiko was gone, and it would never end. Nausea surged through him, what if Inoichi was next? Or Shikaku, or Chōza, or Haruki-

"Naruto."

It took everything Naruto had to meet Ino's gaze. There were tear tracks on her cheeks, but her eyes were bright and fierce. "Nē-chan?"

Ino gripped his shoulders tightly. "It's just us and tou-chan now," she said, and though her voice shook, her eyes didn't leave his. "We've got to look after each other." The mask faltered slightly and she looked down. "I don't wanna lose anyone else."

Naruto stared at her, and as he did he felt his terror morph into something different but just as fierce. "We won't," he said quietly. "No one else dies."

He was going to get stronger. He was going to be as strong as it took to make sure no one he loved died. Ino gave him a shaky smile.

"It's okay, Naru. I'm not going anywhere."

"And neither are we."

Naruto spun round to find Shikamaru and Chōji standing just behind them. Shikamaru was very pale, and Chōji's usual bag of snacks was nowhere in sight, and they exchanged a quick look before Chōji spoke in a surprisingly firm voice.

"None of us are going anywhere. Whatever happens, we look after each other." He took a step forward, brown eyes very bright. "I'm so sorry about your kaa-chan."

Instead of replying, Ino just launched herself at him. Naruto followed suit. Chōji gave the best hugs. Their friend stumbled back a few steps, and Naruto felt a smile bubbling up for the first time in days. He had the best family.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and Naruto glanced over to see Shikamaru standing awkwardly patting both him and Ino, until the girl rolled her eyes and pulled him into the group hug.

"Get over here," she snapped.

For once Shikamaru didn't complain, and surrounded by his family Naruto finally found that he could breathe again.

* * *

Chōza needed only a single look at his friend's face to understand.

"He's still not given up?"

The scars on Shikaku's face looked even more ferocious when he scowled. "Can't say he's not persistent," he muttered. He slumped into the seat across the table from Chōza and took refuge in the beer waiting for him. "He even said that Inoichi was going through a difficult time right now, and didn't need to be babysitting while grieving."

There was a creak of wood, and Chōza forced himself to relax before he snapped the arms off his chair. Shikaku's own eyes were dark with barely suppressed fury. It took another few minutes for Chōza to control himself enough to speak.

"I trust he was corrected."

The unspoken threat was clear, and it earned him a grim smile. "Hokage-sama was less than impressed." The amusement faded as quickly as it had come. "The advisors seem more inclined to take Danzō's side."

"Damn," Chōza muttered. The bar was loud with music and chatter, but he lowered his voice anyway. "They won't act against us by themselves."

Shikaku shook his head slowly. "We need to keep a close eye on Danzō. Especially now."

That led easily into the question Chōza had been trying not to think about. "How much of this do we tell Inoichi?"

Shikaku grimaced and set his glass down a little more firmly than he probably planned. "When have we ever been able to keep anything from him?"

That was an excellent point, and Chōza pulled a face of his own. It was difficult to hide things from any Yamanaka, and when that Yamanaka had known you all their life, well. He'd have better luck convincing Gai to give up the jumpsuit.

"We'll emphasise the fact that we're handling it," he said finally. His gaze wandered to the empty chair between them, and he sighed. "He's got enough on his plate at the moment."

Shikaku nodded grimly. Chōza took a handful of nuts absently, barely noticing the taste.

Danzō had gone too far. It was almost impressive really. Not many people were willing to declare war on Ino-Shika-Chō. Should Danzō continue to threaten his loved ones, Chōza would demonstrate exactly why that was the case.

* * *

Naruto picked aimlessly at his lunch. It smelled amazing, it was Akimichi cooking after all, but he just didn't have much of an appetite lately. It had gotten bad enough that he had started eating lunch away from Ino and the others.

He wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, they knew him too well for that, but he just needed some time to himself.

Naruto sighed and shoved the bento box back into his bag. He missed Keiko's lunches. Haruki and Chōza were better cooks, but there was something missing. Just like he missed the notes she would hide in his and Ino's notebooks, and the hugs they would get before school every day, and the way he could curl up and listen to her read stories.

He just...he missed her.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's head snapped up. He didn't think anyone else knew about this spot. He scrambled to his feet and found himself face to face with one of his classmates.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." He summoned a smile. He didn't know Hinata well, but she had always seemed nice enough. "What's up?"

Hinata hesitated, but met his eyes steadily. "I-I was going to ask you the same thing."

Naruto looked away, unable to sustain the smile anymore. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He was expecting her to leave. She was really shy, and this was one of the longest conversations they had ever had. But instead, he felt a light touch on his arm.

"My mother died a few years ago," she said softly. Naruto stared at her, but she didn't give him a chance to speak, "I know...I know it's hard. And if you ever want to talk..."

For the first time in days, Naruto managed a real smile. "Thanks, Hinata."

Hinata nodded shyly, a light blush spreading across her face. Naruto took a deep breath. He could do this. He had his family and friends, and now he had Hinata as well. He would always miss Keiko, but maybe everything would be okay after all.

* * *

"But-"

"My decision is final, Inoichi. There are already some who say you hold too much influence over our jinchūriki. You will not be permitted to raise the last Uchiha as well."

"I don't give a damn about the influence," Inoichi snarled. "You cannot leave a child alone in the house where he watched his brother murder his entire family!"

Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am aware that it is not a perfect decision," he said. "And I will do my best to watch over Sasuke. But that is the last word on the matter."

Inoichi's hands clenched into fists, but he recognised the gleam in the Hokage's eyes and bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

That didn't stop him thinking about it. By the time he got home, Inoichi had the beginnings of an idea.

"Evening, ji-chan," Naruto called, as Inoichi shut the front door. His tongue was stuck out in concentration as he tended the bonsai Inoichi had given him for his last birthday, but he spared Inoichi a bright grin. "Look how well it's growing!"

His delight was enough to divert Inoichi's attention. "You're doing a very good job of looking after it," he agreed. "Maybe you can start helping me in the shop with some of the new ones."

"Yes!" Naruto shouted, and Inoichi felt his anger fade in the face of his adopted son's enthusiasm. Both his children had taken to working in the shop when they could, but Ino's preferences had turned towards the more lethal specimens lately. Inoichi was only too happy to indulge them both.

"I'll let you know when the next lot come in," he promised. He sat down, his smile fading. "Naruto, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Naruto set his tools down immediately, his blue eyes wide with curiosity. "Ji-chan?"

Inoichi took a deep breath. "Naruto, what do you think of Sasuke?"

Naruto pulled a face. "He used to be all right, but now he's just gone all moody. He thinks he's better than everyone else." He scowled. "And Ino-nē and Sakura-chan are still fighting over him. I don't get it at all."

Inoichi blinked, but set aside the update on his daughter's friendships in favour of Naruto's assessment. It wasn't too surprising considering, but he still had to suppress a sigh. Already the boy was trying to withdraw, and being alone would hardly help. Naruto frowned.

"What?"

Inoichi hesitated, but it was worth a try. "Do you know why Sasuke has changed so much?"

"I asked," Naruto insisted. "But he just ignored me." He cocked his head to one side. "Did something happen?"

Naruto might never match Ino and Shikamaru academically, but he certainly wasn't stupid. "I'm afraid so." He hesitated. "Naruto, it's very important that you don't tell everyone about this."

"I won't," said Naruto immediately.

"Good." He took a breath, and decided there was no point in backing down now. "Do you know anything about what happened with the Uchiha last month?"

Naruto's face scrunched up in concentration. "I know it was something bad," he said slowly. "But Iruka-sensei never lets us talk about it, and Sasuke won't talk to anyone."

At least it wasn't common knowledge among Sasuke's peers yet. They would all find out sooner rather than later, but Inoichi was glad that the boy had a little time to himself. Still, it didn't change the fact that he couldn't do it alone. He sighed, and looked Naruto straight in the eye.

"Sasuke's family were killed."

Naruto was suddenly as still as Inoichi had ever seen him. "All," his voice cracked, and he had to try again, "all of them?"

"I am afraid so," said Inoichi quietly.

All of the colour drained from Naruto's face and Inoichi squashed down a stab of guilt. Sasuke needed this, and he had a feeling it would do Naruto good too, but... He gave his son a moment to process the information before continuing, "Naruto, Sasuke is alone now. He doesn't have anyone who could look after him."

Naruto's head shot up. "He has us! We could help him, right? Like you look after me?"

Inoichi sighed. "I did offer, but clan politics are," he firmly bit back a more appropriate adjective and settled for, "troublesome." He sighed again. "We have told Sasuke that he is welcome to call on us for anything, but I doubt he will take us up on that."

"No," Naruto mumbled. "He doesn't ask for help." His hands clenched on the table. "This isn't fair!"

"No," said Inoichi grimly. "It isn't." He carefully set his bitterness to one side and rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, what Sasuke needs now is a friend. Not a girlfriend, not someone who will just see him for his family name, but someone who can understand what he's been through."

Naruto's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He stared at the bonsai for a long minute, and when he looked up again his face was set in a way that made Inoichi remember the boy's parentage. "I'll help him," he said. "I don't care if he hates me, or yells at me, or thinks I'm an idiot, I'm gonna try anyway."

For a second, Inoichi wondered if it was possible to burst with pride. Keiko would have been equally proud, but he forced that thought aside in favour of ruffling his son's long hair. "If anyone can help him, it's you," he said sincerely. "Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto flicked his hair back into place and grinned at him. "We're Konoha shinobi, right? That means we look after our teammates!"

"Our comrades are everything," Inoichi confirmed, with a smile. Naruto might not be Ino-Shika-Cho by blood, but he had assimilated their teachings as well as any of them. Naruto's grin widened.

"I'll talk to him first thing tomorrow. You can count on me, Inoichi-ji!"

Inoichi patted him on the back. "I know I can." He cast his chakra out, and was pleased to find Ino up in her room. "I just need to have a quick talk with Ino, then how about we all go out for dinner?"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Ramen?" he asked hopefully.

Inoichi had to laugh. "We'll see."

Naruto beamed and returned to his bonsai, while Inoichi slowly headed up the stairs. Some days he felt every one of his years, every ache and scar, and not even his children could completely lighten it.

Inoichi shook his head, forcing his weariness aside. From what Naruto had said, Ino was having her own problems at the academy, and Inoichi had never believed in abandoning the kids to deal with their problems alone. Keiko would have been horrified at the very thought.

A moment to collect himself, and then Inoichi was knocking on his daughter's door.

"Ino?"

"Come in," she called, and Inoichi smiled at the quick sounds of movement behind the closed door. He gave her an extra second to hide whatever she didn't want him to see before opening the door. Ino's innocent smile wouldn't fool anyone who knew her, but Inoichi had to admit that she would be a very effective kunoichi. The expression faded into a more genuine frown as she looked up at him.

"Is something wrong, tou-chan?"

Inoichi gave her a small smile. "Honestly? I'm not quite sure yet." He lowered himself down onto the carpet so that he was sitting opposite her, and then realised he'd run out of stalling tactics.

"Ino," he said gently. "What's going on with you and Sakura?"

Ino said nothing, but the shift in her expression was answer enough. Inoichi sighed.

"I thought you knew better than to place a crush above a valued friendship," he said quietly. "Particularly as you are very well aware that said crush has no interest whatsoever in such a relationship at the present time."

Like any good Yamanaka, Ino kept up with what was happening in the village. Unlike Naruto, she didn't have to be told why Sasuke might have other things on his mind at present. She ducked her head, but not before Inoichi saw her cheeks flush dark pink.

"Sakura was the one who said we had to be rivals," she muttered. "She's so stubborn."

Inoichi contented himself with a single raised eyebrow. Ino scowled at him, and Inoichi silently wished for Keiko's guidance. "Do you want to stop being friends with Sakura?"

He was utterly unsurprised when Ino shook her head. She stared at her lap for a long moment. "She...I don't think she knows about his family."

Inoichi blinked, then remembered that Sakura was from a normal civilian family and sighed. "I would advise against saying anything about it. If she persists in asking questions, bring her back here and I'll talk to her." The last thing Sasuke needed was people talking about what had happened to him.

Ino nodded slowly, but she still didn't look happy. "So what should I say?"

Inoichi really wished Keiko was having this conversation. "Perhaps suggest that you delay this...rivalry until after you graduate?" He offered her a wry smile. "I'm afraid your knowledge of academy kunoichi is rather superior to mine."

Ino giggled. "Just a bit." She hesitated, then suddenly flung her arms around Inoichi's neck in a tight hug. "Thank you, tou-chan," she mumbled.

Inoichi just smiled as he hugged her back. Both of his children would make him very proud.

* * *

Naruto stared at Ino and Inoichi, then at the scroll in his hands, then back again.

"Are you serious?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Nope, we gave you that just we could tell you you're not allowed to do anything with it."

"Ino," said Inoichi mildly, but his eyes were smiling so Naruto knew he was in on the joke. He couldn't be annoyed though. Not with this. Inoichi caught his eye.

"It's true," he said gently. "I have thought about it for some time, and talked with many of the others, but I think I have made the right choice." He looked down at the scroll. "You might struggle with some of them until your chakra control improves, but you deserve to give them a try."

Naruto swallowed. "But these are your family techniques."

Ino rolled her eyes again, and tugged lightly on his ponytail. "You are family, duh! Haven't you gotten it into your thick head yet?" Then her grin turned wicked. "Shika and Chōji aren't gonna know what's hit them."

Naruto's heart was too full for him to say anything, but his family understood.

* * *

"…And now, for the final part of the exam, could you create a Bunshin for me, please?"

Naruto gulped. Of course it had to be the one he sucked at. Iruka nodded encouragingly to him though, and Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could do this. Inoichi's gentle instructions echoed in his head. Feel for chakra, bring it up, don't release it before visualising, concentrate on hand seals and...

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself facing an exact copy of himself.

"All right!"

"Not quite so loud, Naruto," said Iruka, but he was smiling. Naruto bounced up to him, not caring that the Bunshin evaporated.

"I did it, Iruka-sensei!"

"So you did," Iruka agreed. Mizuki grunted, but Iruka continued without looking at him, "And that means you earned this."

Naruto took the brand new hitae-ate with reverence. He had done it. He had finally shown them all. Iruka ruffled his hair fondly.

"You earned this, Naruto. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Naruto whispered. His fingers shook as he tied the headband on, and beamed up at his teacher. "I won't let you down, and that's a promise!"

"I know you won't," said Iruka. He still hadn't stopped smiling. "Go and tell your family the good news."

Naruto managed a single step out the classroom before Ino jumped on him.

"You passed!"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, it was great!" He looked over her shoulder to see Shikamaru and Chōji, both wearing their own protectors. "You guys all passed too?"

"Of course we did," Ino sniffed. "As if we'd fail now." She flung an arm around his shoulders as her grin turned wicked. "See? I told you waiting until we all took the exam together would pay off."

"I totally could have passed it last time," Naruto protested, but it was impossible to be annoyed on a day like this. His fingers went again to the hitae-ate on his forehead. He was a genin. He was a shinobi of Konoha.

All their parents had promised to come and met them after the exam, but as they were heading out Naruto caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

There was a very deliberate pause before Sasuke turned. Naruto grinned at him. "You passed too, huh?"

Sasuke touched his own hitae-ate, but his scowl remained in place. "Yeah." He glanced at the four of them and nodded slightly, before starting to turn away again. Naruto frowned and quickly caught up.

"You wanna come with us? We're all going to Ichiraku's to celebrate."

"Naruto," Ino hissed, and Naruto glanced at her in time to see her cheeks flush. She had given up on pestering the other boy, but Naruto knew her better than anyone.

She needn't have worried though. Sasuke just shook his head. "I've got training to do." He paused before continuing on down the corridor. "Congratulations."

Naruto watched him go in silence, his earlier exuberance gone. Sasuke never wanted to do anything that wasn't related to training. Naruto liked training as much as anyone, but he knew how to have fun too.

Sasuke never seemed to have fun. He only ever agreed to play if he thought it was something that would increase his skills. Naruto had gotten pretty good at thinking up reasons why he should join in, but he shouldn't have to.

The old bitterness welled up in him, and Naruto clenched his hands into fists.

"Naruto?"

Naruto looked up to find Ino frowning. Her chakra brushed his mind, not to intrude, but to offer a sliver of comfort, and Naruto managed a small smile as he returned the gesture. "Just thinking."

Ino cocked her head to one side. "What about?"

Normally Naruto would have brushed her off. She would then argue, he would snipe back, they would soon have a good fight going, and any awkward questions would be forgotten. This time though, Naruto felt different. Maybe because they were all proper shinobi now, but he wanted to get something off his chest. Something he had been thinking about for a long time.

"I'm going to become Hokage."

For the first time in a long time, Naruto saw Ino struck speechless. Chōji too was gaping, but Shikamaru just tilted his head to one side.

"Why?"

Naruto met his gaze steadily. "So that no more kids have to grow up without parents." He turned to watch Sasuke's steadily shrinking figure, and his hands clenched into fists. "I will protect Konoha, and everyone in it. What happened to me, to Sasuke, it never happens again."

There was a long silence. Naruto waited, heart pounding. He didn't go back on his word, and he was going to become Hokage no matter what, but that didn't stop him from needing their support. Ino, Chōji and Shikamaru weren't just his friends, they were his brothers and sister. If they didn't believe he could do it...

The three looked at each other, and then Chōji stepped forward, his usual cheery grin nowhere to be seen.

"Then we're with you," he said simply.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Huh?" That was it? He'd expected a lot more arguments. Ino rolled her eyes, and slapped him lightly upside the head.

"Of course we are, baka. You didn't think we'd let you do this alone, did you?"

"So troublesome," said Shikamaru, with a yawn. He looked Naruto up and down. "It's not going to be easy, but I guess you're stubborn enough to try."

Naruto looked round at them, at their smiles and the acceptance in their eyes, and wondered if it was possible to burst with joy. His family believed in him. They thought he had a chance.

Naruto could do anything with them at his side.

* * *

Iruka liked being a teacher. He really did. There were some parts of the job though, that absolutely nobody could like.

"The dead last and the top rookie have to be in the same team," Mizuki was insisting. "That means Nara and Uchiha."

The Sandaime raised an eyebrow, and Iruka set down his pen to give his friend a flat look. "Do you want to be the one to tell three clan heads that we're breaking up fifteen generations of Ino-Shika-Chō just because the smartest person in the academy was too lazy to pick up a pen?"

"But its tradition," Mizuki protested, but he was drowned out by a series of snorts. Iruka gave his friend a sharp nudge. They had been at this all morning already.

"We are not breaking up Ino-Shika-Chō," said the Sandaime wearily. He stared at the remaining six students, and selected three photos. "Hyūga, Aburame, and Inuzuka form a perfect tracking team, and we could certainly find a use for one."

Mizuki's jaw dropped. "But that leaves the demon brat on the same team as the last Uchiha!"

Iruka glared at him, but his anger was drowned out by a sudden blaze of chakra.

"Naruto and Sasuke are already acquainted," said the Hokage. His dark eyes hardened. "And Naruto is one of our trusted genin."

His tone was mild, but the amount of chakra in the air was suffocating. Iruka held perfectly still, silently praying for his friend to be sensible, and to his relief Mizuki immediately bowed his head. "My apologies, Hokage-sama," he mumbled. "I merely meant to say that Sasuke might need more focused guidance."

"He needs training in teamwork and cooperation more," Iruka pointed out. "And that is one of Naruto's specialties." He scanned the photos, and nodded. "That would work well, actually. Naruto and Sasuke are both powerful but lack finesse, while Sakura is the opposite. They could learn a lot from each other, and they could be a well-balanced team."

It didn't hurt that Naruto was one of the few people Sasuke would speak more than two words at a time to. Naruto and Sakura got along reasonably well, thanks to Ino's relationships with both, so Iruka felt fairly optimistic that the team could function.

But it was the Hokage's decision. The old shinobi stared at the files for a long minute, then the corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile.

"Good luck, Team Seven."


	3. The Team

"Hurry up, Naruto!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and finished tying his hair into its customary ponytail. "We've got plenty of time," he yelled back. He grabbed his favourite orange jacket from the back of the chair, and took a final glance around his room. He had his weapons and wires and tricks…

"Naruto! You know how long it takes to drag Shikamaru out the house!"

That was an excellent point, but Naruto still took the time to brush some dust off his dark blue trousers. Pissing off Ino was way too much fun.

" _If you don't get down here now, I'll spend the whole day sending you the most annoying jingles I can think of."_

Naruto jumped at the mental intrusion. "What? No fair!"

He threw himself down the stairs three at a time to find Ino smirking. "Just because you haven't got the hang of long-distance projection yet, doesn't mean I can't use it."

Naruto scowled at her. "Yeah, well at least my sensor range is larger than the house."

"Well I can-"

"All right, that's enough," Inoichi interrupted, as he pulled on his long black coat. "You're both doing very well. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone progress as quickly in our clan techniques as you two have."

Naruto beamed, and felt Ino's pride resonate around them. The two of them had been pushing each other to improve for the past three years, and it was definitely paying off.

"Just you wait, ji-chan, we'll be the strongest shinobi in Konoha."

Inoichi chuckled. "I have no doubt of that." He looked at the two of them, face softening into a smile. "But I will be proud of you no matter what happens."

"Thanks, tou-chan," said Ino quietly. She gave her father a quick hug, then straightened up. "Now we really will be late!"

Naruto caught Inoichi's eye, and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Ino just rolled her eyes, and dragged Naruto out the door.

"See you later, tou-chan."

"Bye, ji-chan!"

Ino let go of Naruto's jacket once they got to the street, grumbling something about Sakura definitely going to be at the Academy before them. Naruto, who knew better than to interfere in the best friend/worst enemy dynamic the two girls had, just gave his sister a grin.

"Hey, Ino-nē?"

Ino eyed him with utterly undeserved wariness. "What?"

Naruto's grin widened. "Race you to Shikamaru's!"

He was already halfway down the street by the time Ino's infuriated squawk caught up with him, and he laughed as he ran faster. He didn't know why she was complaining, she was the one who didn't want to be late.

To prove miracles did exist, Shikamaru was waiting by the front door. Yeah, he was sitting down, but his eyes were open at least. Chōji probably had something to do with that, judging from the wink he gave Naruto as he skidded to a halt.

"What kept you?"

Naruto grinned at them. "Y'know, Ino was taking ages - Gah!"

He sprawled in the dusty street as Ino glared down at him. "That's for blaming this on me."

Naruto scowled, but accepted the hand up she offered. "You wanted me to move quicker."

Ino stuck her tongue out at him, but refrained from arguing in favour of helping Chōji drag Shikamaru upright. Their friend let out a heavy sigh.

"Why did I have to graduate?" he grumbled.

"Because Mizuki-sensei would have killed you if you'd fallen asleep in his class one more time," Chōji pointed out, with a smile.

Shikamaru sighed again. "So troublesome."

By the time they reached the Academy Naruto had gotten into two different arguments with Ino, joined her in pestering Shikamaru, and nearly come to blows with Chōji about whether and in what circumstances barbecue was better than ramen. It was good to know that, despite their graduation, some things would never change.

Another thing that would never change was how weird girls could be. Naruto took one look into the classroom and snorted.

"Hey, Ino-nē, you gonna join in?"

Ino looked at where most of the girls in their class appeared to be fighting over who got to sit next to Sasuke, and blushed. "Shut up," she muttered.

She dragged Shikamaru and Chōji into the row behind her crush. Naruto followed with a grin, but kept his mouth shut when Shikamaru kicked him. He looked at the crowd, and sighed to see Sakura at the front of the group. What was so great about Sasuke?

Then he saw the growing tension in Sasuke's shoulders, and his slight flinch as the screeching got louder, and sympathy replaced his annoyance. A glance along the row showed that Ino was preoccupied, and Naruto took the opportunity to vault over the desk and into the still empty seat next to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke glanced at him and grunted, but he relaxed back in his chair, and that was good enough. Naruto laced his fingers behind his head and started whistling, easily ignoring the death glares he was getting from half the class. They only had themselves to blame for being slow and annoying.

Fortunately, Iruka arrived in time to prevent any bloodshed. Naruto tried to listen to his explanation of how the teams were formed, but Inoichi had already gone over it and he soon found his mind drifting.

Naruto had long since accepted that he wasn't going to be on the same team as his friends. They were the next generation of Ino-Shika-Chō after all, and he didn't really mind. It was enough that Inoichi had let him learn their family techniques, even if he didn't have the control to use most of them. He had other talents, and he trusted that he'd be able to work with whoever his teammates were.

He sneaked a glance along the bench. It would be kind of nice to be on the same team as Sakura though.

"And in Team Seven," Iruka continued, and Naruto guiltily pulled his attention back to the talk. At least he hadn't heard his name yet.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto blinked. That was good timing.

"Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto was very aware that Sakura's gasp of excitement had nothing to do with him being on her team, but he had to smile anyway. Sasuke was, well, not exactly a friend, but Naruto knew how to work with him, and Sakura had the best scores out of all the kunoichi in the class, next to Ino. This could be a good team.

Next to him, Sakura was bouncing in her chair, her green eyes sparkling. On his other side, Sasuke was brooding, just for a change. Naruto chewed on his lip. He would have to do something about that.

Naruto turned his attention back to the rest of the class in time to hear Ino, Shikamaru and Chōji being assigned to Team Ten, and he twisted round to grin up at his friends. Ino pulled a face at him, which he naturally returned, and the two of them amused themselves quite happily until Iruka dismissed them all for lunch.

Ino shot him a questioning glance as she left with the others, but Naruto shook his head and she just waved before disappearing. Naruto looked at Sakura and Sasuke.

"Do you want to eat lunch together? Seeing as we're going to be teammates now."

Sakura was staring longingly at Sasuke, but the object of her attention just shrugged. "Fine."

Naruto forced back a sigh, and grinned. "Let's go find somewhere quiet."

The three of them made their way outside in silence. As they settled down, Naruto cleared his throat. "So we're teammates now, huh?"

"Hn."

Sasuke was really excelling himself today. Sakura twirled a lock of hair round her finger. "It's really great, isn't it, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke ignored her in favour of eating a piece of tomato. Naruto sighed, and set his onigiri back in his lunchbox.

"Sasuke, if this is going to work, we kind of need to talk to each other." Sasuke switched his glare to him, but Naruto was already looking at Sakura. "Sakura-chan, we're twelve. Can't we worry about dating and stuff later?"

Sakura sniffed. "You don't understand anything, Naruto."

"Neither do you," said Sasuke flatly. He folded his arms and fixed her with a piercing stare. "I don't care if you like me. The only thing I care about is getting stronger. Don't get in my way."

Sakura's lip trembled, but Naruto just snorted. "Wow. That's more than you've said all day."

"Shut up, baka," Sasuke growled.

Naruto rolled his eyes, and turned back to Sakura. "C'mon, Sakura-chan, it's not that bad. We're gonna be a team at least until we turn chūnin, so we've got ages to get to know each other better." He leaned in towards her. "And getting stronger yourself couldn't hurt."

Sakura shot him a speculative look. Naruto gave her a bright smile and returned to his lunch. "There. We all want to get stronger. That's good enough for now, right?"

The ensuing silence was a bit less uncomfortable.

By the time they returned to the classroom to meet their sensei, Sasuke and Sakura had toned down the glaring and ogling respectively, and Naruto was feeling more optimistic. They'd be at Ino-Shika-Chō levels in no time.

Then he staggered as someone threw themselves on his back.

"Naru-chan!"

"Get off, Ino- nē!" Naruto spluttered. He shifted his weight to throw her off, only for her to duck away. "You saw me an hour ago!"

Ino stuck her tongue out, and danced out of arm's reach. "Well you should have been missing me." She waved at his teammates. "Hi, Sakura, Sasuke-kun."

"Ino," said Sakura, with a smile. "Jealous that I got the best team?"

Naruto left them to it, and followed Sasuke over to an empty bench. He got a surprise when, instead of staring out the window as usual, Sasuke frowned at him.

"Why are you so into this team thing?"

Naruto blinked. "'Cause I want to be a great ninja, and the best way to do that is to work with other people," he said. That was what Konoha was all about.

Sasuke snorted. "Other people will slow me down."

"That's stupid," said Naruto flatly. "First of all, I'm not an idiot, and Sakura definitely isn't, and secondly, we're genin. The only way we're gonna stand a chance against anyone else is of we work together."

"That's true for you," Sasuke muttered.

"For both of us," Naruto snapped. "My scores weren't that much lower than yours." He glared at his teammate. "Face it, we all need to get stronger, and we'll do that a lot quicker if we work with each other."

Sasuke's cheeks flushed slightly, and he turned to stare out the window. Naruto let him think it over and twisted round to talk to Shikamaru and Chōji while the rest of the class settled down. It was a start, at least.

They were soon joined by the jōnin instructors, and Naruto watched with interest as the various teams dispersed. Team Ten left with Sarutobi Asuma, just as Inoichi had predicted, but no one claimed Team Seven. Naruto squashed his growing concern and glanced at Iruka, who was rubbing his scar in exasperation.

"I'd heard rumours," he was muttering, "but this is ridiculous."

"Iruka-sensei?" asked Sakura warily. "Where's our jōnin?"

"Good question," Iruka sighed. He looked up at the old classroom clock, and shook his head. "I'm sure he's on his way."

Naruto frowned. As far as he knew from listening to his father and his friends, most jōnin were good about being where they should be on time. The exception…

"Iruka-sensei, who exactly is our sensei?" he asked.

Iruka sighed again. "I'm not really supposed to tell you, but as he isn't taking this seriously…"

"It's Hatake Kakashi, isn't?"

Iruka's jaw dropped. "How did you…Have you been pinching my notes again?"

"No," said Naruto indignantly. "Who else would be late for something like this?"

Despite himself, he couldn't help grinning. Kakashi was awesome, and he was going to be Naruto's sensei! Ino was going to be so jealous.

"Who's Hatake Kakashi?" Sakura asked. "And how do you know him?"

Naruto grinned, and laced his hands behind his head. "He's a jōnin, and a really strong one. He's worked with ji-chan a bit, he's awesome."

He was simplifying things a bit, but he wasn't sure Kakashi would want the rest of the team to know that he'd been keeping an eye on Naruto for most of his life. Sakura was frowning though, and Sasuke had turned away from the window to eye him.

"And yet he can't turn up on time?"

Naruto just shrugged. Jōnin were weird. Iruka looked like he was praying for patience as he shot another look at the clock.

"Look, I would love to stay and see you off, but I have to get back to the class. Kakashi-sensei will be here soon."

"Hopefully," Naruto muttered, as the teacher disappeared. He leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. "So, anyone want to play a game?"

Two hours later, even Naruto was beginning to get bored. He'd tried to burn off some of his never-ending energy doing acrobatics off the desks, until Sakura yelled at him, at which point he'd tried to prod his new teammates into talking to each other again, but Sakura still didn't seem to be able to look at Sasuke without blushing, so he had given up on that for the time being. Instead, Naruto tried to practice his Yamanaka techniques, but his control simply wasn't good enough to be able to transfer his own mind anywhere.

On the plus side, he was pretty sure he could sense the flickering of Ino's chakra on one of the training grounds a few miles to the east of them, so that was something.

"This is such a waste of time!" Sakura finally exploded. "How are we supposed to learn anything from this loser?"

Sasuke gave a curt nod, then looked vaguely surprised to find himself agreeing with her. Naruto suppressed a snicker with an effort, then blinked as a familiar crackle of chakra caught his attention. It set all his senses tingling, and Naruto grinned.

"I don't think we'll be waiting much longer."

Both his teammates frowned, but before either could say anything the door swung open to reveal a tall, silver-haired jōnin. He wore his hitae-ate lopsided over one eye, but the way the visible one swept over them made both Sasuke and Sakura stiffen.

Naruto just waved.

"Hi, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi's eye narrowed, and then let out a long sigh. "My first impression is...you three are going to be troublesome." He cocked his head to one side. "Meet me on the roof in one minute."

With that, he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Naruto rolled his eyes, and headed for the stairs. "You guys coming?" he called over his shoulder.

It was a good couple of seconds before Sasuke caught up to him, and it took all Naruto's willpower not to laugh at the expression on his teammate's face. No wonder Kakashi liked doing this so much.

Eventually they all made it to the roof, and Kakashi started off a round of introductions by giving them absolutely no information about himself whatsoever. Naruto didn't mind, he was too busy sniggering at the twin appalled expressions on Sasuke's and Sakura's faces, but he straightened up when Kakashi looked at him.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like my friends and ramen. I dislike people who pick on my friends, and waiting for ramen to be ready. My hobbies are training and helping in Inoichi-ji's shop, and my dream is to be strong enough to protect everyone I care about."

Kakashi nodded, but Naruto recognised the way his eye crinkled. "Next."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, and blushed. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like...someone. I don't like people who make fun of me. My dream," another glance at Sasuke, "is to become a strong kunoichi."

Naruto blinked, then grinned. "That's awesome, Sakura-chan!"

For the first time Naruto could remember, Sasuke's appraisal of Sakura wasn't one of pure annoyance, and Sakura's face went as pink as her hair when he gave her a curt nod.

"I see," Kakashi drawled. He turned his eye on Sasuke, who scowled back.

"I don't like many things, and I hate a lot of things, but especially idiots and traitors. My hobby is training so that I can fulfil my dream of killing a certain man."

Naruto eyed him. That was more emotion than he'd seen from Sasuke in years. But if someone had killed his whole family...

"We'll help."

Sasuke stared at him. "What?"

Naruto looked him straight in the eye. "That man is evil, and you're our teammate. What did you expect?"

"Naruto's right," said Sakura. For once she managed to look at Sasuke without blushing. "What he did was...was unforgivable. We'll do whatever we can to help."

Sasuke's eyes widened. He looked at her, then at Naruto, and back again. Naruto nudged him, and tilted his head back to bask in the sun. "We're a team now," he said. "And we're gonna achieve all our dreams. That's a promise!"

Sasuke didn't seem capable of speech, but that was okay. Sakura caught Naruto's eye and gave him a tentative smile which he was happy to return.

"Well, aren't you three adorable," drawled Kakashi. "Of course, all this depends on you actually becoming genin."

"What?"

Ten minutes later Kakashi had vanished, and Naruto was fuming. "No one said there was another test!"

He had known Inoichi and the others had been hiding something. Sakura looked equally annoyed. "How can they only let three teams through?" she spluttered. "They can't really send everyone else back to the Academy, can they?"

They could probably do whatever they liked, and Naruto was opening his mouth to say as much when Sasuke spoke up, "It doesn't matter."

Naruto and Sakura stared at him. He had somehow managed to go even paler than usual, but there was a fire in his eyes that Naruto had never seen before. "It doesn't matter," he repeated, "because we are not going to fail. That man has escaped me for too long already. We are going to pass, and we are going to get stronger, and nothing is going to stop us." He rose to his feet, eyes flashing. "I suggest you train before tomorrow. Don't make me carry you."

Naruto jumped up. "Yeah, you got it! There's no way we're gonna fail!" He held out a hand to pull Sakura up. "We should start training right away!"

Both his teammates stared at him. Naruto spread his hands. "We're not doing anything else, right? And we'd better get used to working as a team as soon as we can if were gonna become genin."

Sasuke held his gaze a moment, then grunted, which Naruto decided to take as agreement. Sakura looked between the two of them, and nodded. "I'm in too."

Naruto don't even try to hold back a grin. This was going to be awesome.

* * *

"This sucks!"

Naruto had known Kakashi was going to be late. The jōnin had never been on time for anything in all the years Naruto had known him, and the previous day had confirmed that he wouldn't be any different as their sensei. Normally, Naruto could deal with that.

This wasn't a normal day. This was the day when Naruto would find out if he was good enough to be a shinobi. He was ready. His team was ready.

His jōnin sensei was not.

With an effort, Naruto forced his frustration under control. Kakashi knew exactly what he was doing, and Naruto wasn't going to fall for it. He ran through the breathing exercises Inoichi had drilled into him until his mind was clear, before a huff from his teammate made him look up.

"This is stupid," Sakura was grumbling. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and her face went as pink as her hair. "How much longer is he going to be?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno, but the longer we wait, the more hungry and fed up we're gonna be when we do start the test."

Sakura's eyes widened, then hardened to gimlets. "It is a good way to make the test harder," she allowed. "What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

The final member of their team just grunted. Naruto rolled his eyes, and was surprised when Sakura actually shot Sasuke a scowl. She didn't say anything though, just sat down under the tree next to him.

"I tried to practice those those genjutsu you suggested," she said. "But I don't know how effective they'll be against a jōnin."

"They don't need to be perfect," Naruto promised. "But any distractions are good." He grinned slightly sheepishly at her. "I don't have the control for genjutsu, so we'll be counting on you for that, Sakura-chan."

Sakura gave him a small smile, but it faded when Sasuke continued to ignore them both. Naruto forced down his own growing irritation and reached out with his senses. Surely Kakashi-sensei couldn't take much longer.

The sky was high in the sky by the time Kakashi appeared. By then Sasuke still hadn't said more than two words in succession, and Inoichi's breathing techniques weren't helping nearly as much as they were supposed to. Naruto quite enjoyed watching Sakura screech at their sensei's tardiness, but everything was forgotten when Kakashi got serious.

Naruto found himself frowning as Kakashi explained the test. Two bells for three people didn't make sense, not when genin operated in three-man cells. There had to be more to it than simply getting hold of a bell.

Not that it mattered. Unless they worked together, they wouldn't stand a chance.

The three of them scattered the instant Kakashi called to begin, but Naruto immediately looped round to where he could feel Sakura's chakra. She caught his eye with unmistakeable relief, and followed silently as he led them round to Sasuke. The Uchiha looked rather less pleased to see them, but Naruto cut off his argument with a glare.

"There's no way we're getting a bell from a jōnin by ourselves, and you know it," he hissed. "We have to stick to the plan."

They hadn't wasted the time they'd been given the previous day. Granted, it wasn't much of a plan, considering they hadn't been given any information, but it was better than nothing, and they could use it now. Sasuke's jaw tightened, but after a minute he jerked his head.

"Fine," he said. "Where is he?"

Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated. It was hard to focus with Sasuke's blazing chakra next to him, but he would have to get used to that. "Still in the clearing," he whispered. "Doesn't look like he's moved."

He opened his eyes in time to see Sasuke scowl. "Overconfident."

"We're genin," Sakura pointed out. "He has every right to be." She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I need two minutes."

Naruto nodded. "We'll be ready."

He grinned at them both, and took off through to the trees to the east. A moment later he felt Sasuke start in the opposite direction. Kakashi still wasn't moving, and Naruto's grin stretched wider. This was going to be fun.

One and a half minutes later, Naruto was in position. He used the remaining time to concentrate on his teammates and their sensei, trying to familiarise himself with their signatures in the brief time he had left. Sensing had come easier to him than the other Yamanaka skills, but it still took a lot of focus. If nothing else, this would be good practice.

Then the two minutes were up, and it was time to begin.

Naruto had to admit that Sakura's clones were a lot better than his. He had heard Ino rave about her friend's chakra control to know Sakura was one of the best in the class at that, but the copies of Team Seven that burst from the trees opposite him were so realistic that he had to resist the urge to check his teammates were still in position.

He wasn't surprised when Kakashi disrupted all three clones in less than a second. It was slightly insulting that he didn't even look up from his book as he did so.

"I know you can do better than that," the jōnin called. He flicked a page, and Naruto gritted his teeth. Just a few more seconds...

He dashed out the same instant Sasuke did, and both let loose with a storm of kunai. A puff of smoke showed Kakashi had used a Substitution, and Naruto frantically scanned for his chakra.

"Sasuke, behind you!"

Sasuke threw himself sideways a split second before a dozen shuriken flew threw the air. Naruto moved to cover him, half his attention locked on keeping track of Kakashi and Sakura.

"He's moving fast," he called. "There!"

Sasuke reacted instantly, but this time Kakashi simply weaved through the flying weaponry.

Or most of it. The last shuriken caught on his sleeve, and for the first time Naruto saw a flicker of surprise in the jōnin's eye. Kakashi looked at the two of them, and then his eye crinkled.

"Good timing with the Double Vision, Sakura-chan," he said cheerfully, then leaped back to avoid Sasuke's kick. Naruto rushed forward to join in, his blood humming with the thrill of the fight. He had sparred with Sasuke enough to match his taijutsu, and Kakashi's eye narrowed as he fell back.

"Not bad," he allowed.

Naruto grinned. They were only just getting started. He caught Sasuke's eye, and the other boy nodded and lunged forward. Naruto focused his chakra. He was still getting the hang of this, but they only needed a second. He formed the handsign and concentrated.

Kakashi's hand froze mid-punch.

Sweat broke out on Naruto's brow. The concentration required was unbelievable and the Shinranshin snapped the second Kakashi realised what was going on, but Sasuke didn't waste the opportunity.

"Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

Naruto had ducked under cover the moment he saw the first handsign, but the heat still left him gasping. At times like this, he could appreciate why Sasuke had been top of the class. Making a mental note to ask Inoichi about elemental manipulation, he cast his chakra out for Kakashi and swore.

"Sakura, he's heading for you!"

Sasuke let out a low growl of frustration and took off in Sakura's direction. Naruto raced after him, but distracted as he was trying to keep track of his teammates, he completely missed the tripwires that sent him flying. He twisted automatically, ready to absorb the impact and be back on his feet as soon as possible, but instead of crashing into the ground Naruto found himself sinking into it. By the time he'd realised what was going on, he was stuck fast.

"What?"

A hand patted his head, and Naruto twisted as best he could. "Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi beamed at him. "Maa, your sensing still needs some work. Now, wait there while I round up the other two."

He disappeared in a flurry of leaves, leaving Naruto glaring after him.

Kakashi returned a minute later, a trussed up Sasuke over one shoulder and Sakura trailing miserably behind him. Sasuke was promptly dropped on the ground next to Naruto, where he lay wriggling and shooting death glares at Kakashi, and Sakura dropped to her knees next to them.

"Sorry," she whispered. "He was too fast for us."

Naruto gave her as reassuring a smile as he could manage. "You still lasted longer than me."

Sakura gave him a small smile, but then she suddenly realised that Kakashi was glaring at them, and her mouth shut with a snap. The jōnin drew a kunai and Naruto tensed, but all Kakashi did was cut Sasuke's bonds. He released Naruto from the jutsu with a burst of chakra, and sat back on his heels.

"Not bad," he drawled. "Apart from the dismal failure, obviously. When did the three of you work that little stunt out?"

Naruto sat up with a groan. "We figured it might involve some kind of combat," he explained. "We had a talk yesterday about what we can all do, and came up with some ideas."

Kakashi cocked his head to one side. "And it didn't occur to you to try to attack me by yourselves?"

Sakura stared at him. "We only graduated two days ago!" she spluttered. "Besides, why would you put us in teams if you didn't want us to work together?"

"Exactly," said Naruto with a nod.

Kakashi's eye narrowed, then he turned to Sasuke. "And you. Rookie of the year. You didn't think you were good enough to attack by yourself? You had to rely on other people?"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but something stopped him. He glanced at Sasuke, and found the Uchiha glaring at their sensei. "Yes," he ground out. He looked at Naruto and Sakura, and his scowl eased a little. "Yes," he repeated. "Because they're right."

Naruto's jaw dropped. He heard Sakura draw in a startled breath, but didn't dare take his gaze from Sasuke.

"Interesting," Kakashi drawled. "Very interesting." He spun the bells on his finger, grey eye wandering over the three of them. Naruto swallowed. They hadn't got the bells, or even a bell. They hadn't even come close. Maybe they could convince Kakashi to let them try again...

"You all pass."

For a moment, Naruto couldn't believe his ears. They had passed? All of them?

Then Sakura gasped, and Sasuke actually stopped scowling, and Naruto was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt.

"We did it," he breathed.

"We passed!" Sakura squeaked. "Really?"

Kakashi nodded, and Naruto knew he was smiling. "Maa, I suppose. I'm sure you can all tell me why?"

Naruto smiled, but it was Sasuke who answered. "Teamwork."

He looked slightly pained by the answer, but not nearly as much as he would have a couple of days ago. Naruto glanced back at Kakashi in time to see him nod again. "Precisely." He tilted his head up to the sun. "Just as you said, Sakura, we put you in three-man teams for a reason."

To Naruto's surprise, Sakura blushed and ducked her head. "It was Naruto's idea, really," she admitted. "We all came up with the plan, but he was the one who said we should work together."

"I'm shocked," said Kakashi dryly. He tugged lightly on Naruto's ponytail. "Your guardian will be glad you've been paying attention."

Inoichi would indeed be delighted, and Naruto's smile stretched even wider. He had passed, and he was a shinobi, and there was no way Ino and the others were going to fail either, and this was the best day ever! Something flickered in the corner of his eye, and his jaw dropped.

Sasuke was smiling. Uchiha Sasuke was smiling.

Warmth flooded Naruto's chest. His team was awesome, and they were only going to get better. Sasuke caught his eye and gave him a slight nod, and Naruto grinned back. They would get strong enough to find the monster who had killed Sasuke's family. They would get strong enough that no one would ever hurt their precious people again.

Kakashi coughed, and Naruto pulled his attention back to their sensei.

"Well, now that that's sorted, the three of you must be hungry." He paused. "Unless anyone has anything to add?"

He wasn't looking at Naruto, but Naruto knew exactly what he was asking. Naruto hesitated, but with Kakashi's emphasis on teamwork ringing in his ears there was really only one thing he could do.

"I think I do," he said.

Sakura frowned and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but Kakashi just nodded. Naruto took a deep breath. He didn't know Sasuke or Sakura well enough to know how they would react, but they were his teammates. They had to know. But the last time he had done this had been with Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji, who had known him all their lives, and he had had Inoichi to help then. This was very different, and Naruto hated every second of it.

But it was necessary, and Naruto had never backed down from a challenge in his life.

"Y'know the Nine-Tailed Fox? The Yondaime didn't actually kill it when he stopped it. All he could do was seal it."

"How can you know that?" Sakura asked. "That's not what we were taught."

Naruto grimaced. "I know because he sealed it into me."

And there it was. Sakura's eyes widened, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. Sasuke's hands clenched, but before he could say anything Sakura whirled on Kakashi. "Is...is that true, sensei?"

All traces of humour had vanished from the jōnin's demeanour. "Do you really think Naruto would make up something like that, Sakura?"

Sakura shrank back, but Kakashi was already turning to Sasuke. "The Yondaime was a genius. He knew the only way to stop the Kyūbi was to seal it inside a living being. Naruto was the only child born that day, and was considered the best option."

Sasuke paled slightly, but didn't flinch. "And it's safe?" He glanced at Naruto. "You're safe?"

Naruto blinked. If he didn't know better, he would swear that was concern in his teammate's voice. "I guess so," he managed. "I've never noticed anything...demonic."

Sasuke snorted and sat back. "You wouldn't have been allowed to be a shinobi if the Hokage didn't trust you."

He seemed to be talking more to himself than Naruto, but Naruto smiled anyway. "Inoichi-ji said I might be able to learn to use its power in time," he said. It wasn't an idea he really liked the sound of, but Sasuke's eyes gleamed at the words and it didn't take a genius to work out his thought processes. Naruto eyed him, but decided to let it go. It was enough that Sasuke was accepting the whole situation.

That still left the final member of their team, who had yet to say a word. Naruto glanced at Kakashi, but the jōnin's face revealed about as much as it ever did. Naruto sighed, and screwed up his courage again.

"Sakura-chan-"

"Who knows about this?"

Naruto blinked, but thought about it. "I don't know. I told Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji last year, but all the adults seem to know already."

"They do," Kakashi confirmed. "Hokage-sama released the information to the village after the Yondaime's death, though the shinobi were given more details."

Naruto shifted slightly, the familiar resentment beginning to surface. Kakashi caught his eye. "It was the Yondaime's wish that your sacrifice be honoured."

Naruto looked away. What the Yondaime had wished and what had actually happened were two very different things. He forced that thought away with a scowl. Focusing on what had been done to him was never a good idea.

Instead, he focused on Sakura's face. Her green eyes were ridiculously easy to read, but in between the flashes of fear and confusion was anger.

Lots and lots of anger.

Naruto was debating whether or not to shuffle away when Sakura let out a long breath. "Kaa-san wasn't happy when Ino made friends with me," she said quietly.

Naruto blinked, and Sasuke's frown deepened, but Sakura continued to stare at her shoes. "I thought she was intimidated by Inoichi-san or something at first, but all I ever heard her talk about was you." She looked up, eyes flashing. "Now I understand. And I'm sorry."

Naruto could only stare at her. "What are you sorry for?"

Sure, Sakura had never been particularly friendly, but she had always really been Ino's friend, not his. She had never been as bad as some of the kids in their class, and definitely not as bad as some of the civilians he had met.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry I ever listened to her. You're my teammate now, Naruto. And I am not afraid of you, or the Kyūbi."

Naruto realised his mouth was hanging open, and snapped it shut. Sakura smiled. "You're still you, Naruto. And if Ino and the others already know..." She trailed off with a shrug.

Naruto looked at his teammates, and the warm feeling from earlier redoubled until it spread through his whole body. Sakura's smile widened, and Sasuke held out a hand to pull him up, and Kakashi flicked his forehead protector.

"Well, now that that's sorted, my cute little students," he said, "let's go eat. Last one there gets to pay."

"Sensei!"

* * *

"They all passed."

Chōza raised an eyebrow. "As if we expected anything else."

Inoichi rolled his eyes, and topped up the sake glasses. "Kakashi passed a team straight away. It's worth mentioning." A light kick at Shikaku's ankle had their friend starting awake, and he took the glass Inoichi handed him with a grunt.

"I was listening."

"Yoshino isn't here," said Inoichi dryly. "You don't have to pretend to be paying attention."

He dodged the shadows that tried to trip him with the ease of many decades' practice and settled at the table next to his friends. The sharpness of the sake washed away the tension of the day, and for a minute Inoichi was content to rest with his teammates and bask in the fact that his children were exceeding all his expectations.

It was Shikaku who broke the silence.

"So, you taken Ino and Naruto over to see Ibiki yet?"

Inoichi had known the question was coming. He still had to fight back a flinch. "Not yet."

His two friends exchanged unsurprised looks. Inoichi folded his arms and waited, and eventually Chōza sighed. "They're both genin now, Inoichi. It's time."

"They're not ready."

"They're already older than you were the first time," said Shikaku mildly.

Inoichi glared at him. "That was war. We didn't have a choice."

"Inoichi-"

"They're not ready, and I am not going to force either of them into it." His voice was sharper than he intended, and he took a moment to gather himself. "Naruto doesn't have the control for the finer work yet, and I doubt he'll be assigned to Intelligence anyway, considering his situation."

Chōza frowned. "And Ino?"

Inoichi focused on his sake. "There are enough of us there. She still has some time."

There was another long pause, then Chōza shook his head. "She's your daughter. It's up to you, but you know Hokage-sama won't let you delay forever."

Inoichi didn't reply. He knew he couldn't put it off forever. Naruto's tenant meant that he would almost certainly be assigned to the frontlines, but sooner or later, Ino would have to start to focus her training. She would learn how to enter an enemy's mind, to root out their deepest fears and secrets, and to shatter their sanity. It had to be done. Their clan were too valuable to go unused.

That didn't mean it had to happen right now. Ino was young, and was just starting to discover what being a kunoichi was all about. Inoichi wasn't going to put this on her as well.

Shikaku sighed. "It's up to you," he confirmed. "Just be careful, Inoichi. Hokage-sama isn't the only person with an interest in your family."

Inoichi gritted his teeth at the warning. "Danzō should know better by now."

But it was a valid point. The last thing they needed was to give the old schemer any possible opening. Inoichi sighed and drained the last of his sake. "I'll talk to them before they enter the chūnin exams."

Shikaku nodded. Chōza patted Inoichi's shoulder in silent support. Inoichi just stared at his empty glass and tried to calm the guilt that was turning his stomach.

He wanted to protect his children, but his children were shinobi now. They were expected to face the same trials as any other shinobi.

All Inoichi could do was make sure that they didn't have to face them alone.

**Author's Note:**

> This is yet another stress relief project that has been in the works for years. Usual disclaimer that I work in healthcare and updates are going to be irregular at best, but I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Come and find me on tumblr for more fanfic-related stuff. https://izzyaro.tumblr.com/


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